Apparatus for reproduction of video and audio with suspension function

Abstract

An apparatus for reproducing video and audio includes a video decoder which receives video data coded by a unit of a first time length, an audio decoder which receives audio data coded by a unit of a second time length different from the first time length, and a synchronization control unit which suspends video output of said video decoder and audio output of said audio decoder, and resumes the audio output a certain time period after resuming the video output where the certain time period corresponds to a period from the suspension of the video output to the suspension of the audio output.

1. An apparatus for reproducing video and audio, comprising:
 a video decoder which receives video data coded by a unit of a first time length; 
 an audio decoder which receives audio data coded by a unit of a second time length different from the first time length; 
 a synchronization control unit which suspends video output of said video decoder and audio output of said audio decoder, and resumes the audio output a certain time period after resuming the video output where the certain time period corresponds to a period from the suspension of the video output to the suspension of the audio output. 
 
   
   
     2. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the audio data coded by the unit of the second time length includes coded data with time information attached thereto and coded data with no time information attached thereto. 
   
   
     3. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said audio decoder notifies said synchronization control unit of timings of borders of each time unit equal to the second time length by which the audio data is output. 
   
   
     4. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said synchronization control unit includes:
 a counter which measures a first time period from a time of instruction to said video decoder to suspend the video output to a time of the suspension of the audio output, and counts a second time period equal to the first time period starting from a time of instruction to said video decoder to resume the video output; and 
 a unit which instructs said audio decoder to suspend the audio output based on the instruction to said video decoder to suspend the video output, and instructs said audio decoder to resume the audio output when said counter marks the second time period. 
 
   
   
     5. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said counter detects the time of the suspension of the audio output based on said timings of borders of each time unit. 
   
   
     6. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a period of the suspension of the video output is adjusted according to how many fields are included in one frame of the video data. 
   
   
     7. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a number of fields that are repeated for presentation during the suspension of the video output is equal to a number of fields presented during normal reproduction. 
   
   
     8. A method of reproducing video and audio, comprising the steps of:
 outputting video data after receiving and decoding the video data coded by a unit of a first time length; 
 outputting audio data after receiving and decoding the audio data coded by a unit of a second time length different from the first time length; 
 suspending video output and audio output; 
 resuming the video output; and 
 resuming the audio output a certain time period after said resuming the video output where the certain time period corresponds to a period from the suspension of the video output to the suspension of the audio output. 
 
   
   
     9. The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the audio data coded by the unit of the second time length includes coded data with time information attached thereto and coded data with no time information attached thereto. 
   
   
     10. A system for reproducing video and audio, comprising:
 a video decode unit which receives video data coded by a unit of a first time length; 
 an audio decode unit which receives audio data coded by a unit of a second time length different from the first time length; 
 a synchronization control unit which suspends video output of said video decode unit and audio output of said audio decode unit, and resumes the audio output a certain time period after resuming the video output where the certain time period corresponds to a period from the suspension of the video output to the suspension of the audio output.